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Nell GreenfieldboyceTrump Picks Oklahoma Congressman To Head NASAhttp://wlrn.org/post/trump-picks-oklahoma-congressman-head-nasa
95512 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 04 Sep 2017 17:06:00 +0000Trump Picks Oklahoma Congressman To Head NASAKate SteinEclipse Safety With The Bob Dylan Of Astronomy: FIU Professor Studies And Sings About The Starshttp://wlrn.org/post/eclipse-safety-bob-dylan-astronomy-fiu-professor-studies-and-sings-about-stars
94488 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 17 Aug 2017 21:57:12 +0000Eclipse Safety With The Bob Dylan Of Astronomy: FIU Professor Studies And Sings About The StarsBrendan ByrneSpaceX is set to launch a capsuled filled with supplies and science experiments to the International Space Station, including 20 lab mice. Florida State University researcher Michael Delp wants to solve some biological problems astronauts face in space. To do that, he’s sending the group of mice to the station. For nearly a month, the mice will live in micro-gravity. “The research is really geared to address several biomedical issues that face astronauts with long-duration space flight,” said Delp. Those issues include bone and muscle deterioration as well as fluid pressure changes in the brain that impair space-travelers’ vision. The mice will be returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific ocean next month. The Navy will pick up the furry test subjects and transport them to Loma Linda University in California. Then, they’ll be examined to see just how microgravity affected their physiology. The supply mission is part of NASA’s commercial cargo program, paying private companiesTwenty Mice Hitch A Ride Into Space, Thanks To Spacexhttp://wlrn.org/post/twenty-mice-hitch-ride-space-thanks-spacex
94219 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 14 Aug 2017 05:05:34 +0000Twenty Mice Hitch A Ride Into Space, Thanks To SpacexKate SteinOn Aug. 21, the moon will pass between the sun and the Earth, creating a solar eclipse. It's a rare event, and only people watching from the " path of totality " will be able to see the complete blackout of the sun. Unfortunately South Florida isn't in that path, but we'll still get an 80 percent eclipse around 3 p.m. And we know you're planning to watch -- and maybe even travel for -- the first solar eclipse to be visible from the contiguous United States in nearly 40 years . So we want to hear from you: What are your plans? Are you watching the partial eclipse from the Frost Museum , the Deering Estate or Florida International University ? Are you road-tripping to see the full eclipse in Casper, Wyo., or Columbia, S.C.? Tweet @WLRN , comment below or on our Facebook page . Tag us on Instagram . We want to see your photos! And however you watch, remember: You'll be looking at the sun. So be sure to protect your eyes ! Read more: What Floridians Might See With The 2017 U.S. SolarPlanning To Watch The Solar Eclipse? Let Us Know What You've Got In Mindhttp://wlrn.org/post/planning-watch-solar-eclipse-let-us-know-what-youve-got-mind
93849 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 10 Aug 2017 02:17:23 +0000Planning To Watch The Solar Eclipse? Let Us Know What You've Got In MindPaige PflegerCrumbs may seem harmless here on Earth, but they can be a hazard in microgravity — they could get in an astronaut's eye, or get inhaled, causing someone to choke. Crumbs could even float into an electrical panel, burn up or cause a fire. That's part of the reason why it was a very big deal in 1965 when John Young pulled a corned beef sandwich out of his pocket as he was orbiting the earth with Gus Grissom. "Where did that come from?" Grissom asked Young. "I brought it with me," Young said. Young took a bite and then microgravity took over, spreading bread crumbs throughout the spacecraft. Today, instead of bread, astronauts usually eat tortillas: They don't crumble in the same way and they're easy to hold with one hand as the astronaut floats about. But for many Germans, tortillas just don't cut it. So when a man named Sebastian Marcu heard that German Astronaut Alexander Gerst is returning to the International Space Station in 2018, that got him thinking: "Shouldn't we do something to3, 2, 1 ... Bake Off! The Mission To Make Bread In Spacehttp://wlrn.org/post/3-2-1-bake-mission-make-bread-space
93056 as http://wlrn.orgWed, 26 Jul 2017 11:00:00 +00003, 2, 1 ... Bake Off! The Mission To Make Bread In SpaceJoe PalcaScientists are about to get an up-close and personal look at the planet Jupiter's most famous landmark, the Great Red Spot. NASA's Juno spacecraft will be directly over the spot shortly after 10 p.m. ET Monday, July 10, about 5,600 miles above the gas giant's cloud tops. That's closer than any spacecraft has been before. The spot is actually a giant storm that has been blowing on Jupiter for centuries. It's huge, larger than Earth in diameter. "It's lasted a really long time," says Scott Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio and principal scientist for NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter. "No scientists really understand exactly how that storm is created or why it could last so long." Not only will Juno's camera be able to capture detailed images of the spot, but the probe also carries scientific instruments that can provide additional details about the storm. For example, the microwave radiometer can peer through the clouds and see what kinds of atmospheric structuresNASA Spacecraft Gets Up Close With Jupiter's Great Red Spothttp://wlrn.org/post/nasa-spacecraft-gets-close-jupiters-great-red-spot
92017 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 10 Jul 2017 09:08:00 +0000NASA Spacecraft Gets Up Close With Jupiter's Great Red SpotBrendan ByrneVice President Mike Pence promised to return Americans to the moon during his visit Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center. Pence touted a commitment to returning to the moon, and putting humans on Mars under the leadership of President Trump. “We will return our nation to the moon. We will go to Mars, and we will go still further to places that our children’s children can only imagine.” Pence toured the center’s transition from the shuttle program to a multi user spaceport, supporting both public and private space launches. Senator Marco Rubio traveled with the Vice President on Air Force Two. “And you’re the ones who make it possible,” Pence said to the crowd of more than a thousand workers inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. “So give yourselves a round of applause for making miracles happen, for making science fiction, science fact here at the Kennedy Space Center.” Trump has yet to name a permanent NASA administrator, but last week the President reinstated the National SpaceVice President Pence Visits Kennedy Space Center, Calls For Mission to Moon and Marshttp://wlrn.org/post/vice-president-pence-visits-kennedy-space-center-calls-mission-moon-and-mars
91918 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 07 Jul 2017 15:56:24 +0000Vice President Pence Visits Kennedy Space Center, Calls For Mission to Moon and MarsJoe PalcaTwenty years ago Tuesday, a plucky little probe named Pathfinder landed at Ares Vallis on the surface of Mars. It didn't land in the traditional way, with retrorockets firing until it reached the surface. No, Pathfinder bounced down to its landing site, cushioned by giant air bags. It was a novel approach, and the successful maneuver paved the way for a similar system used by the twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity in 2003. I was at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on landing day. JPL is the home of mission control for most of NASA's planetary missions. Prior to the landing at 10 a.m. PT, engineers nervously watched their consoles, even though there was really nothing they could do if there was a problem. It takes several minutes for a radio signal from Mars to reach Earth, so the landing sequence was already well underway when the first signals reached Earth. I had spent a lot of time before landing day getting to know the scientists and engineers involved in the mission. I didn't talkAnother July 4th Anniversary: Pathfinder's Landing On Marshttp://wlrn.org/post/another-july-4th-anniversary-pathfinders-landing-mars
91673 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 03 Jul 2017 20:32:00 +0000Another July 4th Anniversary: Pathfinder's Landing On MarsBrendan ByrnePresident Trump signed an executive order Friday establishing the National Space Council. Vice President Mike Pence will lead the council, steering the nation’s space exploration policy and shepherding partnerships with commercial space companies. The council will likely set broad goals – like deep space exploration and future Mars missions. Campaigning last year in Cocoa, Pence touted the admiration’s plan to re-enact the council, dormant since the first Bush Presidency. Pence said that if the U.S. wants to explore deep space, it will need to invest into the private space industry. “We can be more efficient, we can be more effective, we can use space dollars wisely,” said Pence at the campaign stop last October. “We’re going to it. We’re going to make the investments. We’re going to create a brighter and boundless future for America and a growing economy on Florida’s Space Coast for generations.” Commercial space companies are ramping up on Florida’s Space Coast. SpaceX launchesTrump Establishes National Space Councilhttp://wlrn.org/post/trump-establishes-national-space-council
91623 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 03 Jul 2017 03:24:57 +0000Trump Establishes National Space CouncilColin Dwyerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usPrwjyggEM Earth is welcoming a rather hefty visitor to the neighborhood Wednesday — an asteroid that hasn't swung by these parts in roughly 400 years. About as big as the Rock of Gibraltar , asteroid 2014 JO25 is coming so close that its visit should be visible even to small telescopes. But no need to panic, NASA says. "Although there is absolutely no chance that the asteroid will collide with our planet, this will be a very close approach for an asteroid of this size," the space agency says in a statement . At its closest approach, which should occur around midday ET Wednesday, the asteroid will be a little over a million miles away — or about 4.6 times the distance from Earth to the moon. Though NASA says that distance is comfortable enough to ensure there will be no collision, it is nevertheless classified as a "potentially hazardous asteroid" due to the way its orbit intersects Earth's . First spotted in 2014 by astronomers at the Catalina SkyAn Asteroid Is Swinging By Earth Today For Its Closest Visit In 400 Yearshttp://wlrn.org/post/asteroid-swinging-earth-today-its-closest-visit-400-years
86868 as http://wlrn.orgWed, 19 Apr 2017 15:18:00 +0000An Asteroid Is Swinging By Earth Today For Its Closest Visit In 400 YearsMerrit KennedyThe private company SpaceX has announced that it plans to send two passengers on a mission beyond the moon in late 2018. If the mission goes forward, it would be the "first time humans have traveled beyond low Earth orbit since the days of Apollo," as NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce told our Newscast unit. The two private citizens approached the company about the idea and have already paid a sizable deposit, CEO Elon Musk told reporters in a conference call. These private individuals will also bear the cost of the mission. "I think this should be a really exciting mission that hopefully gets the world really excited about sending people into deep space again," Musk said. As the company puts it: "This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years and they will travel faster and further into the solar system than any before them." The plan for this private mission is to send the two people to loop around the moon and then return to Earth. They willSpaceX Announces Plans To Send Two Customers To The Moonhttp://wlrn.org/post/spacex-announces-plans-send-two-customers-moon
83807 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 27 Feb 2017 23:18:00 +0000SpaceX Announces Plans To Send Two Customers To The MoonNell Greenfieldboycehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HfgHhMg6vY A small, faint star relatively close by is home to seven Earth-size planets with conditions that could be right for liquid water and maybe even life. The discovery sets a record for both the most Earth-size planets and the most potentially habitable planets ever discovered around a single star. The strange planetary system is quite compact, with all of these worlds orbiting their star closer than Mercury orbits the sun, according to a newly published report in Nature . "If you were on the surface of one of these planets, you would see the other ones as we see the moon, or a bit smaller," says Michaël Gillon , an astronomer at the University of Liège in Belgium. "The view would be very impressive." The cool, reddish star is about 40 light-years away, in the constellation Aquarius. "It's a very tiny star," says Gillon, "10 times smaller than the sun." Until recently, no one was even looking for planets around so-called ultracool dwarf stars.Astronomers Find 7 Earth-Size Planets Around A Nearby Starhttp://wlrn.org/post/astronomers-find-7-earth-size-planets-around-nearby-star
83491 as http://wlrn.orgWed, 22 Feb 2017 18:47:03 +0000Astronomers Find 7 Earth-Size Planets Around A Nearby StarRebecca HersherFor years, the satellites of America's Global Positioning System have been carrying sensors that measure the weather in space. The information has been kept by the military, which manages the satellites, because solar storms and other space weather can damage satellites. Today, as the result of an executive order signed last October, the government released 16 years of that space weather data to the public for the first time. "It's really an unprecedented amount of information," explained Marc Kippen , a program manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where the sensors were designed. Twenty-three of the more than 30 U.S. military GPS satellites carry space-weather sensors, which measure charged particles in Earth's magnetic field and together provide 92 measurements every day of the radiation around the planet. Space weather is all about radiation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publishes regular updates on three types of space weather: geomagnetic storms, solarGovernment Releases 16 Years Of Data About Solar Weatherhttp://wlrn.org/post/government-releases-16-years-data-about-solar-weather
82008 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 30 Jan 2017 21:57:00 +0000Government Releases 16 Years Of Data About Solar WeatherElissa Nadworny The 24 juniors and seniors in the astronomy class at Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Va., sink into plush red theater seats. They're in a big half-circle around what looks like a giant telescope with a globe on the end. Their teacher, Lee Ann Hennig, stands at a wooden control panel that has enough buttons and dials to launch a rocket. Above this whole room is a large white dome. It's lit up right now — like daytime — but with the turn of a dial, Hennig makes the sun set. As the light fades, stars appear. Just a few at first, and then all of a sudden it's like a night sky, way out in the country. Each little star — thousands of them — shining through a pinhole plotted carefully on that globe in the center of the room. "It's like the sky meeting a movie theater," says 17-year-old Sahaj Sharda, a senior in Hennig's advanced astronomy class. "When you first sit down and the lights turn off and you just look up, it seems so realistic." Once there were more than 350 planetariumsRelics Of The Space Race, School Planetariums Are An Endangered Species http://wlrn.org/post/relics-space-race-school-planetariums-are-endangered-species
80244 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 03 Jan 2017 11:00:00 +0000Relics Of The Space Race, School Planetariums Are An Endangered Species Camila DomonoskeNASA is looking for some help making the solar system's most portable port-a-potty. So if you think you know the best way to poop in a spacesuit, the agency is ready to hear it ... and you might make $30,000 for your trouble. The "Space Poop Challenge" — that's what it's called , we're not making this up — is the latest project of the NASA Tournament Lab, a program to invite members of the public to help come up with "novel ideas or solutions" for space-related problems. It's hosted on HeroX, a crowdsourcing platform. And here's the challenge: Create an "in-suit waste management system" that can handle six days' worth of bathroom needs. The logistics of pooping in space, in general, have long been resolved . Astronauts at the International Space Station, orbiting the Earth for months, have some noisy contraptions with vacuums, fans, hoses and bags that take care of business. But those space toilets won't fit in a pressurized spacesuit — and they certainly aren't hands-free. "How hasGot A Great Idea For Dealing With Poop In A Spacesuit? Let NASA Knowhttp://wlrn.org/post/got-great-idea-dealing-poop-spacesuit-let-nasa-know
78328 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 28 Nov 2016 20:43:00 +0000Got A Great Idea For Dealing With Poop In A Spacesuit? Let NASA KnowMerrit Kennedyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4BiDR4_H-Y Astronauts at the International Space Station are planning to spend Thanksgiving in quite a traditional fashion: There will be a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, good company, and football. In a video taped in orbit, Space Station Commander Shane Kimbrough explains how the crewmates will celebrate the holiday. "It's going to be little bit different for us up here in space, but I'm going to try to make it as much like home as we can," he says. The crew will work during the day and then sit down to a Thanksgiving dinner. Kimbrough walks us through the planned menu, and it's clear he's pretty excited about it: Turkey, packed in a pouch. "We'll heat this up and it'll taste really good, just like you're having at home," Kimbrough says. A side dish of candied yams. Cornbread dressing, which they will rehydrate before serving: "And it will taste really good, I'm sure." Green beans and mushrooms: "Can't have a Thanksgiving meal without some greenHere's How The International Space Station Is Celebrating Thanksgivinghttp://wlrn.org/post/heres-how-international-space-station-celebrating-thanksgiving
78062 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 22 Nov 2016 22:30:00 +0000Here's How The International Space Station Is Celebrating ThanksgivingBill ChappellIts official name is the perigee-syzygy, meaning the moon is both full and closest to Earth. But many call it the supermoon, and Monday's version will be a "showstopper," NASA says. It's the nearest supermoon in almost 70 years — and we won't see another like it until 2034. "When a full moon makes its closest pass to Earth in its orbit it appears up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter, making it a supermoon," NASA says. Here are five things to help you enjoy this supermoon: When To See It In the U.S., we'll get three chances to see the moon at its brightest and biggest, from around sunset Sunday to Monday's predawn and sunset. On both days, the moon will rise around sunset. "The difference in distance from one night to the next will be very subtle, so if it's cloudy on Sunday, go out on Monday," says Noah Petro , deputy project scientist for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. "Any time after sunset should be fine. Since the moon is full, it'll rise at nearly the sameClosest Supermoon Since 1948 Arrives Monday: Tips On Seeing And Photographing Ithttp://wlrn.org/post/closest-supermoon-1948-arrives-monday-tips-seeing-and-photographing-it
77454 as http://wlrn.orgSun, 13 Nov 2016 20:34:00 +0000Closest Supermoon Since 1948 Arrives Monday: Tips On Seeing And Photographing ItJoe PalcaNASA's next Mars rover mission doesn't launch until 2020, but the process of picking a landing site is already underway. Right now, one of the leading suggestions comes from a teenager who hasn't yet finished high school. Alex Longo , of Raleigh, N.C., has been a fan of space exploration for almost as long as he can remember. "My first experience with space exploration was in 2005," he says. "I was just 5 years old, and mom and dad had me watch a space shuttle launch ." Watching that shuttle launch was the start. Longo decided he not only wanted to go into space himself someday, he wanted to be the first person to walk on Mars. He started following NASA missions on the agency's website , and in 2014 came across an announcement about the next rover mission to Mars. "I saw that they were looking for abstracts from scientists to suggest landing sites," he says. "I decided, well, I'll write something up." He'd written to NASA before. "Each time, they sent me cool space shuttle missionA Teen Might Pick The Landing Site For NASA's Next Mars Roverhttp://wlrn.org/post/teen-might-pick-landing-site-nasas-next-mars-rover
73866 as http://wlrn.orgSun, 04 Sep 2016 13:08:00 +0000A Teen Might Pick The Landing Site For NASA's Next Mars RoverTeresa FrontadoA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Witnesses say the explosion rattled buildings miles away from the launch pad. Flames and black smoke could be seen at the pad, and the plume of smoke was picked up by local radar. “SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for today’s static fire, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload,” says SpaceX spokesperson John Taylor. “Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries.” Officials say there is no threat to public safety. SpaceX planned to launch a communications satellite for Israeli operator AMOS this weekend. Officials say the explosion occurred during a pre-launch test-fire of the Falcon 9 engines. Both the rocket and satellite were destroyed. NASA says it’s too early to tell if other launches are affected by the accident. United Launch Alliance planned to send the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to an asteroid next week. The accident follows aSpaceX Rocket Explodes On Kennedy Space Center Launchpadhttp://wlrn.org/post/spacex-rocket-explodes-kennedy-space-center-launchpad
73741 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 01 Sep 2016 16:13:23 +0000SpaceX Rocket Explodes On Kennedy Space Center LaunchpadCamila DomonoskeThey aren't saying it's alien, but they are saying it's "interesting." The SETI Institute — the private organization that looks for signals of extraterrestrial life — has announced that it is investigating reports of an unusual radio signal picked up by Russian astronomers. The signal was detected on a much wider bandwidth than the SETI Institute uses in its searches, and the strength of the received signal was "weak," SETI Institute astronomer Seth Shostak wrote in a blog post . It was unusual, both in its design and its "beam shape," he says. The signal might be coming from a solar system called HD 164595, some 94 light-years away from us, Shostak wrote. It seems to be coming from that direction, at any rate. That system has a star similar to our sun. There's one known planet circling that star, about the size of Neptune and very close to the star. That planet doesn't seem like a good candidate for hosting life, but other planets might also be in the system, Shostak wrote. But thereScientists Looking For Alien Life Investigate 'Interesting' Signal From Spacehttp://wlrn.org/post/scientists-looking-alien-life-investigate-interesting-signal-space
73624 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 30 Aug 2016 15:10:00 +0000Scientists Looking For Alien Life Investigate 'Interesting' Signal From Space